1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an image forming apparatus.
2. Background Art
Various types of electrophotographic image forming apparatuses are known, including copiers, printers, facsimile machines, and multifunction machines having two or more of copying, printing, scanning, facsimile, plotter, and other capabilities. Such image forming apparatuses usually form an image on a recording medium according to image data. Specifically, in such image forming apparatuses, for example, a charger uniformly charges a surface of a photoconductor serving as an image carrier. An optical writer irradiates the surface of the photoconductor thus charged with a light beam to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductor according to the image data. A developing device supplies toner to the electrostatic latent image thus formed to render the electrostatic latent image visible as a toner image. The toner image is then transferred onto a recording medium directly, or indirectly via an intermediate transfer belt. Finally, a fixing device applies heat and pressure to the recording medium carrying the toner image to fix the toner image onto the recording medium.
Such image forming apparatuses may incorporate a lubricant dispenser that applies lubricant to an image bearer, to prevent damage to the image bearer and such errors as toner filming.